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PDF versionJesuit sees convergence of U.S., Vatican policies
Shared views over shadow differences of opinion
Jun. 22, 2009
Reese
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President Barack Obama will visit Pope Benedict at the Vatican July 10. That’s when Obama will be in Italy for the annual gathering of G8 heads of state. The G8 was created in 1975 for governments of eight nations in the northern hemisphere: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
NCR Editor Tom Fox June 22 interviewed Jesuit Father Thomas Reese, senior fellow at the Woodstock Institute at Georgetown University in Washington DC, about relations between the Vatican and Obama administration and the importance of a possible meeting between the pope and the U.S. president.
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Pope Benedict, meanwhile, is expected to issue a social encyclical on economic matters in early July, raising the ante of the July meetings.
Reese says the Vatican is looking to develop good relations with the United States. He sees a convergence of views between the pope and Obama on a number of policy fronts, including the Iraq war, concern for the world’s poor, nuclear disarmament, dialogue with Islam, and a two-state Middle East settlement.
These agreements, according to Reese, over shadow serious differences of views on abortion.
Reese also talks about divisions among the U.S. bishops on how to approach the Obama government. The entire interview can be heard here.
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If the pope would restore the
If the pope would restore the commands of God given in the "Old Testament," there would begin strong unity for the congregations of the world. It was the early church that took away God's teachings through Moses, Prophets including Jesus and the deciples. Jesus said to live by EVERY word of God. The Catholic Church does not and neither do churches that broke away.
God's primary message through the prophet Muhammad was to follow the whole Bible, Torah, Gospel and whatever God had sent down. (Qur'an, Ahmad. Numbers: 5.68, 69; 42.14-16). We could end the conflicts between Muslims, Jews and Christians with repentance to IT IS WRITTEN, putting away all that was added by man. See information helpful for the Inter-Religious Forum in Kazakhstan on July 1-2, 2009 on my website.
Marie Devine
Kansas City, MO, USA
marie-devine@divine-way.com
http://www.divine-way.com
Unfortunately you are taking
Unfortunately you are taking the path of hubris and confusing the human and the divine. We do not and could not have God's word as it is spoken by God untouched by human perception. What we have in any scripture is the human term of revelation, the receiver not the source. God is absolute and whole. Humanity is neither.
You seem to be missing an
You seem to be missing an awareness of some major points of Christian theology, or perhaps you are rejecting them as "added by man". However, we have Scriptural support for believing that we are saved by God's grace, having been redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus and His Resurrection.
We strive to live by Jesus's Great Commandment because our primary relationship is with God. Accomplishing that brings peace. Living in peace does not come from living according to rules. In fact, too many of those living according to rules fail to follow Jesus's Great Commandment and cause strife and animosity by critiquing how well or poorly others live according to rules.
Sure, we could end all strife by becoming all the same and agreeing to believe all the same things, but that hardly puts God first. Also, do not forget that though the Bible is the inspired word of God, it was transcribed by mere mortals and interpreted by mere mortals as well. As we come to fuller understanding of God's messages to us, we are bound to come into disagreement. It would, therefore, be better if we made the effort to live with uncertainty and disagreement without taking it to extremes than if we all do whatever it is you want.
Reese was forced out of
Reese was forced out of America magazine's editorship by the Vatican, wasn't he? But he has built a nice career as an apologist for the Obama Administration.
Tom, you are correct. This
Tom, you are correct. This is a man (Reese) who puts Obama and his administration before Christ and His Church.
Well, that is your view and I
Well, that is your view and I do appreciate it. However, my view is that I see Reese as a man who sees wonderful possibilites of much of Christ and His Church being reflected in the Obama administration.
And so does the Pope, I
And so does the Pope, I suppose.
What good news! Thank you
What good news! Thank you for your wise insights, Rev. Reese, and let us pray that you are right.
If the Vatican develops
If the Vatican develops cordial relations with President Obama, does that mean that Notre Dame wont't be allowed to invite the Pope to deliver a commencement address?
God Bless Pope Benedict XVI.
God Bless Pope Benedict XVI. Let us all pray that he can convince President Obama that LIFE is the correct choice.
And if Pope Benedict does not
And if Pope Benedict does not convince Obama that life is ther correct choice, Reese will say that Obama is right and the Pope is wrong.
He already believes that LIFE
He already believes that LIFE is the best choice. He also believes it must remain a choice.
So, Obama's opposed to a
So, Obama's opposed to a mother killing her 1-day old baby too? Last time I checked, that also was a choice. Or are you arguing that the essential aspects of human nature change when a person leaves the womb? And therefore a pre-natal "choice" is different than a post-natal "choice"?
You pro-abortion people crack me up. I have a logic book for you if you want to borrow it. And when you're done with that, work on your metaphysics. It's even worse than your logic.
In a theocracy your logic
In a theocracy your logic holds water, but in secular law post natal viability is the standard definition for granting full human personhood. This is the state of human development supported by the majority of people irrespective of religious affiliation.
Until you can convince the majority of American citizens that a full person legally resides in a petri dish of blastocysts, your spiritual definition will not become law.
Gee - I was hoping Obama
Gee - I was hoping Obama could teach Benedict a few things about uniting people.
Well, no pope was able to
Well, no pope was able to convince president Bush to respect life. On more that 40 separate occasions the Vatican attempted to convince Bush not to go to war in Iraq. To no avail. Fortunately Benedict understands that Catholic principles in large part have more to gain from respectful dialog with this American administration than from a thick-headed narrow focus on differences in strategic approaches to the abortion problem.
As long as the pope and
As long as the pope and bishops continue to live the life-style that they do--they are not going to convince too many people that anything they say, is the correct choice.
Jesus was poor--he said that he 'didn't even have a place to lay his head."
But the pope and most bishops live at a social level far above the people that
they are supposed to shepherd. How is that being 'poor.' They wear more lace and jewelry than most women do---and the poor have none of this. How are they like Jesus in that regard?
They write and preach about justice---but fail to practice it themselves. They deny decent salaries to the people who work for them. They fire people whom they want to get rid of---and get away with it. How are they being like Jesus?
Jesus sought out the sinners, ate with them---and won them back for God. The pope and bishops don't seek out the wandering, and lost in the world---they often times condemn them---because they are different. Dave Mattozzi hopes that Pope Benedict can convince President Obama that LIFE is the correct choice. Perhaps President Obama can convince the Pope that the Catholic Church needs to do more for all life---including the women who carry the babies. After all, women are not just walking, talking incubators. Their lives are priceless, too. If women don't feel that they have any hope for a better life---they are not going to bring a child into that hopeless life, either.
So it is to be hoped that the Pope as well as President Obama can learn from each other. And let us hope that the official church will begin to practice what it preaches.
This Pope and this President
This Pope and this President are in closer harmony over more world-class
issues than many of the American hierarchy are over their solitary "abortion"
issue. Let's continue to pray for an all-around rapprochement of Pope,
President, and even American bishops, for the common good of both Church and
State!
I am very disappointed in the
I am very disappointed in the Pope. He should not be meeting with the false god Nobama who is responsible for the murder of millions of babies.
President Obama has been in
President Obama has been in office for only 5 months. Can you please explain your illogical statement of his being "responsible" for the murder of millions of babies. By your reckoning, the Bush administration, which was in office for 8 years, must be "responsible" for the murder of billions of babies. And who are you to decide what is right for the Pope to do? Maybe you should take some time and read the Gospels, and learn the way of Jesus. Letting hatred guide your life doesn't help anyone, nor does it do anything to solve the many problems that confront us. Love, pray and work to bring forth the kingdom.
Peace and blessings.
Ah yes another another
Ah yes another another tolerant liberal, Jesus would not be tolerant of most politicians, however liberals have this incredible to make Obama out to be godlike. Obama is anti-life therefore he represents evil and there is nothing wrong with hating evil. May the war against the Left continue until the end of time or until the Left is wiped out
What gift will Obama bring
What gift will Obama bring the Pope -- a DVD of the Da Vinci Code?
As a Jesuit, I do pray that
As a Jesuit, I do pray that everyone does not think that Father Reese speaks for all Jesuits in this matter. He was quite outspoken along with Doug Kmiec on the Notre Dame matter but remained rather silent on the event at Georgetown.
He is still a wonderful brother priest; I guess we just see the situation with different eyes and mind.
It would be in the best
It would be in the best interest of all Catholics if we could discuss our various concerns without including labels and stereotyping. It is quite possible, indeed preferable, to have a dialogue of civility and respect, even when we disagree. On many Catholic blogs the conversation will quickly degenerate to a tone of religious smugness and pejoratives.
Our Holy Father is making an effort to be both a teacher and a pastor. In actual practice, there is a difference. It is easy to get our respective heads stuck in the rule-book and resort to harsh words to make a point. Those words might actually be the cause of turning a wounded soul farther away from the Church. Is that really our desire?
When Jesus disciples wanted to call fire down from heaven on the heads of those who would not hear their message, Our Lord rebuked them, saying... "you do not know the spirit you are of... the Son of Man did not come to destroy but to save."
It would be time well-spent for us to ponder what He might say to each of us regarding the words we say, and the spirit with which we say them.
Thank you for Fr Thomas
Thank you for Fr Thomas Reese's very open comments. Tom Fox's questions were right on.
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